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Carja
The Carja are an advanced and powerful tribe in ''Horizon Zero Dawn. ''The Carja are ruled by a monarch, Sun-King Avad, and engaged in a civil war. They have a vast population and more advanced economically and militarily compared to the other tribes. History The Carja originated in the "Savage East." Their first Sun-King, Araman, discovered the Leaves of the Old Ones from which he brought to his tribe the knowledge of observing the Sun, its movement, and solar worship. Furthermore, the Carja gained from the Leaves the first writing. For reasons unknown, the Carja were attacked and driven from their original homeland by hostile tribes that were once their peaceful neighbors; they were either scared or envious of the Carja's knowledge. The Carja were forced to migrate westward in a harsh journey as many families, including Araman's, perished on the wayside. Their journey ended when they discovered the Spire and Araman declared the Spire's mesa lands as their new haven, naming it Meridian.Founding Of Meridian Under the reign of the 3rd Sun-King Sadahin, the Carja expanded their dominion and established the present day Sundom. Through the next several generations of Sun-Kings, the Carja continued to expand their domain and growth all the way to Daybreak until their expansion ceased after a failed expedition into the Forbidden West and was strained by their attempts to conquer the Savage East.The Sun-Kings Following a brief peaceful interlude, the Carja under the reign of the 12th Sun-King Hivas began to re-militarize, fight with other tribes, and capture slaves. During the reign of the 13th Sun-King Jiran, the Sundom came under threat of the machines and the Derangement. Jiran believed that human sacrifices to the Sun god were necessary to stop the machines' aggression. The Carja then began a series of attacks on tribal settlements and captured tribals to be used in bloody sacrifices in what became notoriously known as the Red Raids. Jiran's atrocities greatly alienated some of his people, including his sons Kadaman and Avad. When Kadaman was executed for demanding an end to the Red Raids, Avad turned against his father and forged an alliance with the Oseram tribe. After Jiran was killed by his own son, Avad succeeded his father and became the 14th Sun-King. He proceeded to end the Red Raids and begin a series of reforms in the Sundom such as outlawing slavery. However, not all of the Carja followed the new king, especially those who remained loyal to Jiran. These dissenters and remnants of Jiran's old regime fled from Meridian and established their own kingdom in Sunfall and became known as the Shadow Carja. Peace remained between the Carja and the other tribes, but recently there have been conflicts between the tribes. Society & Culture The Carja are a patriarchal society. Women are socially excluded from joining the military and priesthood. There are two markets in Meridian, one for nobles and the other for commoners. At night in Meridian, most commoners take the elevators to their homes in the surrounding villages.Mentioned in Carja villager dialogue The Carja see themselves as separate from other tribes, and look down on outsiders such as the Nora as primitives. By the events of the game, Avad has been trying to reform the Carja's views and policies, such as openly accepting gender and status, abolishing slavery, and tolerating other tribes. Hierarchy & Government The Carja also have a class system, with nobles, artisans, and commoners. Religion & Customs Carja faith and culture revolves around the sun. Many of their phrases pay homage to the sun in some fashion (Ex: "by the sun," "may the sun light their passing," "the sun has shined upon us," etc). Tribal Relations Shadow Carja The Shadow Carja is a splinter tribe of the Carja, formed from the Carja who remain loyal to Sun-King Jiran. They are enemies to the Sundom and refuse to recognize Avad, whom they see as an usurper who murdered the Sun-King. The tribes have reached a temporary and unstady ceasefire in their civil war. Oseram The Oseram was one of the many tribes plundered by Jiran's forces during the Red Raids. The alliance between Carja rebels and Oseram freebooters was instrumental in ending Jiran's reign, and as a result, the Red Raids. Following the Liberation, Avad reformed the freebooters into the Vanguard: an elite group of Oseram soldiers and his personal guard. Amongst all the tribes, the Oseram have been the most receptive to Carja efforts to reform. By the third year of Avad's reign, many Oseram have come to Meridian in search of employment, building a significant Oseram presence in the Sundom. Some Oseram have built settlements on the outskirts of Carja territory, such as Free Heap. However, by Avad's own admission, the alliance between the two tribes is unstable. Prejudice exists on both sides: some Carja still view the Oseram as primitive, while some of the Oseram (such as Dervahl) still hold animosity towards the Carja for the Red Raids. Nora The Nora and Carja have a long and tense history. The Carja have historically seen the Nora as savages with a backwards way of life, particularly their matriarchal society. Banuk The Banuk was one of the tribes plundered in the Red Raids. While Ban-Ur, their main territory, was relatively untouched, The Cut, which existed on the border of the territories, was hit heavily by Carja raids. As a result, animosity towards the Carja is still prevalent (or at least notable) among the Banuk. Tenakth Known Members Known Settlements, Outposts, and Gates * Brightmarket * Cut-Cliffs * Daytower * Lone Light * Meridian Gate * Meridian (capital) * Meridian Village * Royal Maizelands * Sunstone Rock * The Estate * Dawn's Sentinel * Day's Height Trivia * The Carja culture seems similar to that of the Aztecs and Romans. ** Additionally, the Carja's use of Oseram Vanguard troops as royal protectors is similar to the Eastern Roman Empire, the Byzantines, use of Germanic soldiers as their Varangian Guard. * The Carja were inspired by numerous groups, including the Khmer in Cambodia and the Al Hajjara in Yemen. Their architecture style is very similar to historical designs used in India.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us_S7aNyEMc * The naming convention has male names ending in a consonant, while those of females end in a vowel sound. Gallery Suzanne-helmigh-b1.jpg|Clothing concept for wealthy Carja citizens, by Suzanne Helmigh Suzanne-helmigh-b2.jpg Suzanne-helmigh-b3.jpg Suzanne-helmigh-d1.jpg|Middle-class citizen Suzanne-helmigh-e1.jpg|Poor citizens Suzanne-helmigh-e2.jpg Ville-valtteri-kinnunen-tenara-guard.jpg|Guard concept art, by Ville-Valtteri Kinnunen References Category:Humans Category:Tribes